I'm not sure. For a while Golden was releasing different variants. Each shipment would have something new. The current GT Fatty is referred to as Gen 5. We're hoping that the Shinko will be a good option as the prices of the Golden continue to rise. Ty has a Fatty front and Cheater rear that he will be mounting up to test as well.

I know some guy who has a TC 125 at Zip Ty Racing I heard he would love to test one out In fact there is a sprint endure on Sept 9th in Red Mt That is a great place to start Put in a good word for the guy will you Thanks

This tire works just like the Golden. I have about 50 miles of mixed desert so far. Light sand, deep sand, rocks, hard pack, high speed, low speed. The Shinko feels exactly like a Golden. Wear is exceedingly good with square edges and some fuzzy nipples still.

I'm running the new Shinko 216 Fat Tire as well with a new Nitro Mousse in the front. Course sand washes with river rocks, Black Volcanic rocks, High speed hard pack dirt roads. Soft dusty fluffed up silt surfaces, even about 90 to 100 miles on the pavement at 65mph+.

So far I have about 300 miles total on it and I feel that its much more predictable getting it to stick in flat turns and its more stable than the GT 216 DST I had with a Michelin bib Mousse. Or the standard GT 216 AA 2 ply fatty I ran before previously with the Tubliss set up.

So far ? Very happy.
As for the wallet. That is the most important difference. I already have an extra new spare laying in wait.

These last weeks were a true test of the Shinko. I've got easily 400 more miles on mine now after abusing my bike marking and running course. The edges are still pretty sharp and the feel is awesome. It certainly lets you know what it's doing. I'm running mine with a good ol' tube and it's great.

I think the best thing I can say is that I just don't even think about what the 216MX Fatty is going to do. It tracks well through everything.

That's a good question Robert ?
My old GT216 AA Fatty says 2 ply
My old GT216 DST says 4 ply which by the way isn't near as big/circumference or wide as the GT216AA Fatty.
The GT216 DST is much closer to the size of the Shinko 216MX Fat Tire, both circumference and width
I would guess that means the 2 in the sidewalls and 4 across the tread surface for added puncture resistance as the DST was advertised before production was cut.
That's if I remember and I don't remember.

overall for practical use I start to think that the logically stiffer 4 ply construction tire will be more precise with less tire roll, which for me will be great. That is what I battle with the fatty as the pressure/mousse breaks down, the big tire wallows. I like these with at least 10psi feel and up to 14 psi feel. I know there is an army of guys running single digit pressure in these fatties.....for me it feels like a big wallowing flat tire, no-go-lo for me.